The Catholic Culture Podcast

We all know the secular world opposes the very idea of a person with same-sex attraction seeking any kind of therapy or spiritual counsel that might enable them to reach a state of healthy relations with the opposite sex. But what’s odd is that many Catholics seem to have bought into this. Many assume that if someone is not currently attracted to the opposite sex, this is a static, lifelong condition and therefore they must be called to celibacy. But this view involves multiple misunderstandings – of the SSA experience, of anthropology, of the power of God’s grace, and of the good of celibacy itself. Today’s guests know otherwise because they both have a background with same-sex attraction, and yet are each now married with children. Andrew Comiskey and Marco Casanova run Desert Stream and Living Waters Ministries, which for decades have offered help to Christians seeking healing from sexual disorders (including but not limited to SSA). This conversation offers solid, spiritually and psychologically sound, experience-based answers to some disputed questions about how the Church should be pastoring those with same-sex attraction. It's not about “conversion therapy”. It’s about conversion in the Catholic sense – one day at a time. --Can we really put a ceiling on God’s ability to heal us psychologically? --Does any attempt at such healing amount to the secular bugbear of “conversion therapy”? --What does life look like for a person with a “gay” past who is now married to the opposite sex? --Is it legitimate for Christians to embrace a gay identity as long as they don’t act out sexually? --Is there such a thing as a chaste same-sex romantic relationship? Links Thomas Mirus, “Your sexual pathology doesn’t make you special” https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/your-sexual-pathology-doesnt-make-you-special/ Andrew Comiskey, Rediscovering Our Lost Fullness: A Guide to Sexual Integration https://sophiainstitute.com/product/rediscovering-our-lost-fullness/ Desert Stream Ministries http://www.desertstream.org/ Desert Stream on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJVUJQREephvIkJWlTuwXBg DONATE to make this show possible! http://catholicculture.org/donate/audio SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: https://www.catholicculture.org/newsletters

Fr. John Nepil, priest and mountaineer, joins the podcast to discuss his book To Heights and Unto Depths: Letters from the Colorado Trail. Topics discussed include: The modern view of "nature" vs. God's creation A morally responsible approach to risk-taking The modern origins of hiking as a secular activity "Wilderness" vs. "garden" - Catholic attitudes toward the wild places To Heights and Unto Depths https://ignatius.com/to-heights-and-unto-depths-thudp/ DONATE to make this show possible! http://catholicculture.org/donate/audio SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: https://www.catholicculture.org/newsletters

The standard textbook of theology in medieval universities was the Sentences by Peter Lombard (1095-1160), bishop of Paris. This collection systematically arranged the theological judgments of Scripture and the Church Fathers on various topics. For almost four centuries, those seeking higher credentials in theology had to study, teach, and comment on Lombard’s Sentences. It was formative for the likes of St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Bonaventure. Over time, the genre of commentaries on the Sentences became its own vehicle for new developments in theology. The Sentences was not replaced by Aquinas’s Summa as a standard textbook until the 16th century. Philosopher Philipp Rosemann has written two books on the Sentences and its significance for the development of theology. The first, Peter Lombard (2004), is about Lombard and his book. The second, The Story of a Great Medieval Book: Peter Lombard’s “Sentences” (2007), is about the commentary tradition on the Sentences. Rosemann gives fascinating insights into the development as theology as a systematic science, which had profound ramifications for Catholic spiritual life and the history of the West. DONATE to make this show possible! http://catholicculture.org/donate/audio SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: https://www.catholicculture.org/newsletters

Fr. Donald Haggerty, a priest from the Archdiocese of New York and spiritual master, shares insights from his book on the Church's current crises. He discusses the urgency for deeper prayer and personal conversion as the Church faces trials reminiscent of Jesus' Passion. Emphasizing spiritual sobriety, he highlights the need for clarity in doctrine and accountability, while balancing it with God's mercy. The conversation also critiques modern spiritual approaches, advocating for a return to traditional spirituality that fosters true growth and repentance.

Mimetic desire, scapegoating: if you've been hearing these terms thrown around lately, it's because the French Catholic philosopher René Girard (1923-2015) is having a renaissance, with powerful people like J.D. Vance and Peter Thiel citing his influence on their thought. Trevor Cribben Merrill, producer of the new documentary Things Hidden: The Life and Legacy of René Girard, joins the podcast to discuss Girard's principal ideas, and reflect on aspects of his thought which seem difficult to reconcile with Catholic doctrine. Watch Things Hidden https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-vB1HaBsog SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: https://www.catholicculture.org/newsletters DONATE to make this show possible! http://catholicculture.org/donate/audio

Ryan Hammill of the Ancient Language Institute joins Thomas for a practical discussion about how to learn Latin, as well as the central place of the classical languages (Latin and Greek) in classical Christian education, and the various schools of thought in today’s classical Christian education movement. Links Thomas’s article about learning Latin https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/dreamt-learning-latin-heres-how-youll-finally-do-it/ Ancient Language Institute https://ancientlanguage.com/ New Humanists Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-humanists/id1570296135 Jonathan Roberts, “Classical Schools Are Not Really Classical” https://ancientlanguage.com/classical-schools-not-classical/ Micah Meadowcroft, “Classical Education’s Aristocracy of Anyone” https://nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/classical-educations-aristocracy-of-anyone DONATE to make this show possible! http://catholicculture.org/donate/audio  SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: https://www.catholicculture.org/newsletters

Christopher Page, an esteemed English musicologist and founder of Gothic Voices, takes listeners on a fascinating journey through the evolution of musical notation in Christian worship. He highlights how early liturgical music relied heavily on memory before the revolutionary contributions of Guido d'Arezzo. Page emphasizes the balance between improvisation and standardized melodies, showcasing how these developments transformed monastic singing practices. He also reflects on the historical significance of these innovations on music theory and their ongoing influence.

A new biography of Ven. Fulton Sheen gives special attention to his high-profile converts, but reveals many other interesting facets of his life as well. Author Cheryl Hughes joins to discuss Sheen’s at times shockingly direct evangelization methods, his outstanding television presence, his lifelong struggle with vanity and ambition, and the mistreatment he suffered from his rival, Cardinal Spellman. Links Cheryl C.D. Hughes, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen: Convert Maker https://ignatius.com/archbishop-fulton-j-sheen-afsp/ Thomas’s review of Cheryl’s biography of St. Katharine Drexel https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/st-katharine-drexel-shows-how-spiritual-poverty-and-submission-to-providence-go-hand-in-hand/ DONATE to make this show possible! http://catholicculture.org/donate/audio SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: https://www.catholicculture.org/newsletters

St. Anicius Manlius Severius Boethius's book The Consolation of Philosophy, which he wrote in prison while awaiting martyrdom around the year 524, is one of the single most influential works for medieval philosophy and theology. But Boethius also owed much to the pagan philosophy that came before him.  Thomas Ward has just written a commentary on Boethius's dialogue for Word on Fire, entitled After Stoicism: Last Words of the Last Roman Philosopher. Topics discussed include: Boethius's debt to Stoic ethics and how he critiques the Stoic view of happiness The influence of neo-Platonist philosophy on Boethius Questions about the account of deification given by Lady Philosophy - is it more Platonist than Christian? Boethius's brilliant arguments about how God's way of knowing differs from ours Links Thomas Ward, After Stoicism: Last Words of the Last Roman Philosopher https://bookstore.wordonfire.org/products/after-stoicism?srsltid=AfmBOopBRfuMW6DMx_iUEH9u2gjSswySJAZ__JrdTznAIpZ3Ptj9mDMJ Way of the Fathers episode on Boethius https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/st-boethius-church-father-and-medieval-scholar/ DONATE to make this show possible! http://catholicculture.org/donate/audio SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: https://www.catholicculture.org/newsletters

Susannah Black Roberts, a senior editor at Plough and writer for notable conservative publications, discusses the complex relationship between AI-generated art and Christian values. She argues that AI art is a contradiction, akin to pornography, undermining authentic creativity. The conversation dives into ethical concerns regarding AI's role in religious expression and warns of potential demonic influences. Roberts advocates for preserving human artistry, emphasizing that genuine worship should not be outsourced to technology.